570 
of the British Association tables at the 
Naples and Plymouth biological stations 
were then submitted. 
On Monday the chief papers were : 
1. J. 8S. Kerr, ‘ The Development of Lepr- 
dosiren paradowa,’ and a note on the hypothe- 
sis of the origin of the vertebrate paired 
limbs. 
2. J. F. Gemmill, ‘On Negative Evidence 
regarding the Influence of Nutrition in 
Determining Sex.’ Dr. Gemmill deals with 
marine animals fixed in such a position that 
some individuals get more food than others. 
This seems to cause no difference in the 
proportions between the sexes. 
3. F. P. Morenaand A. Smith Woodward, 
‘Exhibition of Skull of Extinct Chelonian 
Miolania, and of newly-discovered Neomylo- 
don remains from Patagonia,’ with remarks. 
4. G. E. H. Barrett Hamilton, ‘The Fur 
Seals of Behring Sea.’ 
On Tuesday Sir John Murray read a 
paper on Dr. Petersen’s experiments on 
plaice culture in the Limfjord, Denmark. 
Outside the fjord the plaice are found abun- 
dant, but small. When transplanted into 
the richer feeding ground they rapidly grow 
larger, and can be sold at such a price that 
it may be regarded as successful economic 
fish culture. 
Mr. W. Garstang then gave an account of 
his experiments at Plymouth in rearing 
young sea-fish. He has used the Butterfly 
Blenny, kept in ‘plunger’ jars, not more 
than five larve to a gallon of water, and 
fed on plankton. The experiments have 
been very successful, about 50% of the 
larve being reared through the metamor- 
phosis to young adults. Professor McIn- 
tosh finally had a paper on the occurrence 
of the grey gurnard (Trigla gurnardus) and 
its spawning in shore and off shore waters. 
He shows by a monthly examination of the 
statistics that this important fish does not 
begin to migrate in shore for spawning pur- 
poses until March, and attains its maximum 
SCIENCE. 
[N.S. Von. X. No. 251. 
in May. He does not consider that there 
is a second spawning migration later (Au- 
gust), as stated by the Fishing Board for 
Scotland. The spawning extends from 
April to September. 
The reports of the committees to the sec- 
tions were: 
1. Naples Zoological Station, with report 
by Dr. Jameson on his work at Cephyrea. 
2. Plymouth Biological Station, with 
papers on the embryology of Polyzoa, by 
YT. H. Taylor, and on rearing of Echinid 
larvee, by Professor MacBride. 
3. Zoology and Botany of West India 
Islands, Final Report, with list of publica- 
tions. 
4. Zoology of Sandwich Islands, Explora- 
tion and publication both in progress. 
5. Bird Migration in Great Britain and 
Ireland, Records now being worked out. 
6. Zoological and Botanical Publication, 
Committee on Correspondence with Editors. 
7. Index Animalium, First section (1758— 
1800) nearly ready for publication. 
8. Pedigree Stock Records, Reliable Rec- 
ords by Photography of Pedigree Stock. 
9. Circulatory Apparatus for Marine Or- 
ganisms, Record of Color Changes in Crus- 
tacea. 
Most of these committees were reap- 
pointed, with grants, for the coming year. 
W. A. HeRDMAN. 
THE DIG@CISM OF THE FIG IN ITS BEARING 
UPON CA PRIFICATION.* 
As is well known, the edible fruit of 
the fig is morphologically an enlarged, hol- 
low, flowering branch, bearing within the 
nearly closed cavity thousands of minute 
flowers. It is therefore not a true fruit in 
a botanical sense, but a fleshy receptacle. 
Two crops of figs are usually produced 
during the year; first, the figues fleurs, or 
brebas, which appear in March or April, 
*Read before Section G of the American Associa- 
tion for the Advancement of Science at Columbus. 
